Basecamp and Nav 5.......... My way .............

Nope, that's what I've done, and it takes you on a huge convoluted route, up roads, and back down again. All I need to do is amend small chunks, but this is the reason why I keep giving up on it. I could plan a route on the unit directly, chuck in a dozen villages, and it will sort it out, but I'm determined to crack this Basecamp malarkey if it's the last thing I do!

Start dragging the route in very small chunks, about half inch at a time from where you first need to adjust it.

I wish we could arrange an on line wbinar type thing

Wapping to the Basecamp supporters stand please
 
What should happen is that you select the hand tool and then make sure that the route is highlighted then alt and hold down left mouse and just drag a point of the highlighted route to where you want it, This in effect creates a shaping point release the mouse and let it sort itself out. On a Mac it actually asks if you wish to move the selected bit

It often looks like a great big riangle/ straight lines section is being moved but it should just drop the point where you want and then re calcalculate.

It is difficult to put into words !


That works for me, reminded me of one of the reasons why I don't like it much though. On my usual laptop I have to press the Alt key whilst moving the pointer and press the left hand "mouse" button, bloody awkward that is!. Might work better with an external mouse I suppose. In Mapsource I can use the pointer tool to select the part of the route I want to change and drag it to a new position, this automatically creates a new via point. Is there not a way of doing this in Basecamp without needing three hands?

John
 
I feel it's very much like an Adobe product. In any "normal" program the workflow is 1,2,3,4. In anything Adobe its. Z,6,%,9
and Basecamp seems the same. :D

I'm assuming that care must be taken to get waypoints on the correct side of dual carriageways to avoid the loop back down the wrong way just to pass through it as in other route planning programs (Tyre).


I completely agree. The reason basecamp gets so much flak ( both here, GS, and walking/cycling forums too) is that it is complete shit.

Like Redrick and Wapping (who both provide helpful posts on basecamp), thank you. I can use it. I can get it to do exactly what I want.

But its still, truly dreadful software.

Why Redrick feels the need to "defend it", from valid criticism, baffles many of us.
 
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Start dragging the route in very small chunks, about half inch at a time from where you first need to adjust it.

I wish we could arrange an on line wbinar type thing

Wapping to the Basecamp supporters stand please

It ain't happening. I still get the big line. I could actually ride to Cornwall quicker than it's taken me to plan the friggin journey in Basecamp!:D

I'll stick to my way, life's too short, and I can't be arsed!:D
 
It ain't happening. I still get the big line. I could actually ride to Cornwall quicker than it's taken me to plan the friggin journey in Basecamp!:D

I'll stick to my way, life's too short, and I can't be arsed!:D

E mail me your start and finish points I will do it for you and e mail it back !!
 
I completely agree. The reason basecamp gets so much flak ( both here, GS, and walking/cycling forums too) is that it is complete shit.

Like Redrick and Wapping (who both provide helpful posts on basecamp), thank you. I can use it. I can get it to do exactly what I want.

But its still, truly dreadful software.

Why Redrick feels the need to "defend it", from valid criticism, baffles many of us.

Afternoon Stuart

I defend it because it works

It isn't perfect but it works and like anything else in life the more you are prepared to put in the more you get out.
 
Tell us are you using mac or pc. and when you say a big line is it about the same thickness as the route line or a lot thinner, i ask because the insert line is a thick one.
 
That works for me, reminded me of one of the reasons why I don't like it much though. On my usual laptop I have to press the Alt key whilst moving the pointer and press the left hand "mouse" button, bloody awkward that is!. Might work better with an external mouse I suppose. In Mapsource I can use the pointer tool to select the part of the route I want to change and drag it to a new position, this automatically creates a new via point. Is there not a way of doing this in Basecamp without needing three hands?

John

Of course: 'insert' tool, move pointer onto map near the route to get a thick black line appearing between via points, L click anywhere on the map when the thick black line appears (it does have an odd habit of disappearing..) then you've got the usual rubber banding tool, L click on new via point. But it is much easier to use a mouse and the alt key, rather than a trackpad.

BTW, for everyone having trouble editing a route either double click on the route name in the lower LH panel, or R-click, Open to see the route properties including a list of way- and via- points. Highlight any one of them and an orange circle identifies that point on the route. Or hover the pointer over a viapoint on the route to see its name. then find it in the list and delete it. The route "straight lines" so click 'Recalculate' in the route properties window to see the change. Then drag n drop the route as necessary (see above).

If you double-click on a route name Basecamp tries to be helpful by zooming to a level that shows the whole route. If you happen to be zoomed in and tinkering with a small section this is annoying, so use R-click and Open instead to see the route properties list.
 
Of course: 'insert' tool, move pointer onto map near the route to get a thick black line appearing between via points, L click anywhere on the map when the thick black line appears (it does have an odd habit of disappearing..) then you've got the usual rubber banding tool, L click on new via point. But it is much easier to use a mouse and the alt key, rather than a trackpad.

BTW, for everyone having trouble editing a route either double click on the route name in the lower LH panel, or R-click, Open to see the route properties including a list of way- and via- points. Highlight any one of them and an orange circle identifies that point on the route. Or hover the pointer over a viapoint on the route to see its name. then find it in the list and delete it. The route "straight lines" so click 'Recalculate' in the route properties window to see the change. Then drag n drop the route as necessary (see above).

If you double-click on a route name Basecamp tries to be helpful by zooming to a level that shows the whole route. If you happen to be zoomed in and tinkering with a small section this is annoying, so use R-click and Open instead to see the route properties list.

Spot on and in better words than i could muster today !
 
Of course: 'insert' tool, move pointer onto map near the route to get a thick black line appearing between via points, L click anywhere on the map when the thick black line appears (it does have an odd habit of disappearing..) then you've got the usual rubber banding tool, L click on new via point. But it is much easier to use a mouse and the alt key, rather than a trackpad.

BTW, for everyone having trouble editing a route either double click on the route name in the lower LH panel, or R-click, Open to see the route properties including a list of way- and via- points. Highlight any one of them and an orange circle identifies that point on the route. Or hover the pointer over a viapoint on the route to see its name. then find it in the list and delete it. The route "straight lines" so click 'Recalculate' in the route properties window to see the change. Then drag n drop the route as necessary (see above).

If you double-click on a route name Basecamp tries to be helpful by zooming to a level that shows the whole route. If you happen to be zoomed in and tinkering with a small section this is annoying, so use R-click and Open instead to see the route properties list.

Thanks for that, just tried it. How do you stop in reverting to the same point? That is is works once fine but if I move along the route to a different place it refuses to start from there and only add to the route from the first modification. Still much easier in Mapsource at the moment. As I pointed out I don't need an external mouse for other programs and the whole point of my laptop is I can pick it up and use it anywhere without having to carry a mouse or find somewhere for a mouse pad

John
 
E mail me your start and finish points I will do it for you and e mail it back !!

If he did that for both of us we could compare times taken to make a route in both Basecamp and Mapsource :D

John
 
The grey one, always start closest to the start point that way you are moving onwards and once you have a few points in the route you can then move between them. once you have a couple of points just right click and you can then move between them.
 
FFS john i was not trying to be funny only trying to help and you get on at others for sarcastic comments, and read the full amended post.
 
If he did that for both of us we could compare times taken to make a route in both Basecamp and Mapsource :D

John

I can tell you that he e mailed me at 1646 I had a few things to do before i started it and had to boot up my Mac and start basecamp etc and I e mailed him the completed route at 1707 so i recon less than 5 minutes to do it
 
FFS john i was not trying to be funny only trying to help and you get on at others for sarcastic comments, and read the full amended post

Well I thought it was funny in a sort of Sybil Fawlty stating the bleeding obvious sort of way. And I see you have altered the post to stop it being so, why? To be serious why start near the beginning rather than actually at the beginning.. Usually you have a pretty good idea of a, where you are starting from and b, where you want to end up. I would start with those two as waypoints, often the start will be home. I then ask Mapsource to create a route-highlight the two waypoints, right click and select make a route. If the route does not use the roads I want I click, drag and drop to create via points along the way. Took me longer to type that than it takes to do it.

John
 
I can tell you that he e mailed me at 1646 I had a few things to do before i started it and had to boot up my Mac and start basecamp etc and I e mailed him the completed route at 1707 so i recon less than 5 minutes to do it

What sort of route? Just between two points or was there a list of preferred roads or waypoints?

John
 
What sort of route? Just between two points or was there a list of preferred roads or waypoints?

John

If the waypoints are already created it is only a drag and drop excecise - your not exactly trying to fit square pegs in round holes.
 
Nutty to the blue phone, please

So, I'm trying to plan a route.....Any ideas?

Get someone else to do it for you.... Like they usually do :D Not Keith, obviously or Giles :augie

Now, let's go....

(1) I use a Mac and am going from memory, so you might see something a bit different. But, you are a clever chap, so you'll work it out.

(2) Turn ALL your Garmin preferences and avoidances OFF. Before anyone chirps up, yes you can set preferences and avoidances to lots of different things, I am just trying to remove all the possible variances for the nutty fellow whilst he gets to grip with things.

(3) Now set just one preference to 'Fastest time'. Nothing else.

(4) Create a route of about 200 miles from A to B. I don't care where it goes, just do it; you know you can.

(5) You should now see a nice magenta line A to B. You do? Excellent!

(6) Now highlight the route, so the magenta line goes bold. You can do that too, I know.

(7) Now chose the route shaping tool. On a Mac, this is an arrow button.

(8) Now pick a point roughly halfway down, at about 100 miles and click on the highlighted route. Drag the route to an alternative road. I really don't mind where, it's only a pretend game.

(9) Release your finger on the mouse. The point you chose should now be fixed - we'll call it C - and you should have a route that goes:

A Start

C About midway, to the point you (you clever thing) have just created all on your own.

B End

You do? Great, you have amended a route successfully! That wasn't so hard, was it?

(10) Now find a point on your route at about 50 miles, so halfway between A and C. Click on it and drag the route again. You should notice that the route only moves between A at the start and C in the middle , not between C and B at the end. Let's call that point D.

(11) You now have a route that goes:

A Start

D About a quarter in

C Midway

B End

You do? Great Jehovah, we are now cooking on gas. Is there no beginning to your talent.

(12) Repeat as necessary, dragging the route to specific points until you are happy.

Job done. You have created a custom route in BaseCamp in 12 very simple stages :clap Say "Thank you".


NOTE:

(i) When you drag the route, say creating A to D to C, you might notice that a bit of route that you were happy with before moves. That's not your fault. It's the software being clever. Before you were going A to C and were happy. Then you added point D in between. The software goes: "Aha.... you want to go somewhere in between the two points, I'll amend the route to cater for your change". You can fix this by making incremental changes, little pins if you like, to stop it happening.

(ii) With practice you'll get good at how to chose points to pin. I sometimes spot a good point to pin, just because I know it will help me later. Similarly, I often move up and down the route dragging all sorts of bits about to get it roughly to the right shape, and only then I fine tune it. I told you to split in half and then quarters just to make it simple; play about, you can't break it.

(iii) The larger screen you have, the easier it is. Or so it seems to me.

(iv) Using an external mouse helps me, but I cannot touch type and sometimes find shortcuts a chore, not least as I can never remember what they are; but hey, that's just me. I can though do it all on a very small laptop and in Mapsource, too. So it really cannot be very difficult.

(v) When I said, play about you can't break it; that's true. However, the really best'est way to really learn is to create a route that you will use. It adds a certain spice to the affair, a whiff of Adventure.... A route that you'll use, amazing your frends (and Keith) at your skills.... all from 12 easy stages. You will become a god, a thing of legend. Take care, you will have great powers, use them wisely.

Now you have got it cracked - and before you soil your underpants (again) in excitement - try turning preferences and avoidances on and off, to see what difference it makes. Sometimes it's very significant, sometimes it's nothing that you can see. Muck about with 'windy roads' to see what that does. But.... and listen really carefully.... always remember that the way you set your computer and leave it, will be the way it fires up when you next use it. Lots of bods forget this and then scream blue murder that the thing keeps routing them down (or avoiding) every motorway or refuses to go up the Stelvio, no matter how hard they try. This is not because Garmin or BaseCamp or Mapsource is crap or shite...... it is because these people are incredibly stupid.
 
Well I thought it was funny in a sort of Sybil Fawlty stating the bleeding obvious sort of way. And I see you have altered the post to stop it being so, why? To be serious why start near the beginning rather than actually at the beginning.. Usually you have a pretty good idea of a, where you are starting from and b, where you want to end up. I would start with those two as waypoints, often the start will be home. I then ask Mapsource to create a route-highlight the two waypoints, right click and select make a route. If the route does not use the roads I want I click, drag and drop to create via points along the way. Took me longer to type that than it takes to do it.

John

Jhon i was actualy editing my post as you must have been typing your reply, i was editing it to add the information i was missing as i had to look back at basecamp to clarify, and with reference to starting from the start of the route, providing you start there you actualy do not need to go backwards and come in and out of the insert tool. as long as you dont make a mistake you can just keep moving forward to the end that seems the most sensible way, but you do not have to do it this way, you can start at the end point and work backwards or indeed the middle, and then move in both directions.
 


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